Nintendo announced the Switch 2 early last month. It was, as many of the leaks predicted, more Switch. With a trailer that was widely reconized as a tame effort from the gaming giant, fans are still excited for the prospect of more Switch on a larger screen. What I found interesting was Nintendo’s hardware design. In a world drowning in sleek black electronics, Nintendo decided to shed its normally “fun” approach to hardware and designed a console that looks like a standard issue electronic brick. That is pretty uncharacteristic for the fun-giant known as Nintendo. The personality it has infused in not only its console designs, but the company’s overall philosophy on gaming seems absent from the console package. That is a real shame if you ask me.
A look back at fun
Nintendo is a toy company. Their toys just so happen to be expensive pieces of hardware. The goal is always to delight its audience and instill a sense of play in their audience. Nintendo never chased the highest graphical power, or AAA third-party gaming experiences. Their legendary pantheon of first-party gems. Games like Mario, Zelda, Pokemn, and the myriad of others are all Nintendo needs to spark joy in their fandom.
When it comes to their hardware, Nintendo always seems to have some funky trick up their sleeve. One leaving us asking “why are they doing that?” Then they change the industry with it. For example, Nintendo has thrice sparked a handheld console race. First with the Gameboy, then the DS line, and lastly the original Switch. Spawning multiple handheld “me-too” consoles like the Sega Nomad and Game Gear, Steam Deck, PS Portable, and more. They popularized motion controls with the Wii, influencing Microsoft and Sony in how they implement motion into their systems. Be it the Microsoft camera or the Playstation controls motion controls.
Nintendo trends in a way it’s competitors can’t. They also do it in their own quirky style. Looing back on all the Nintendo consoles, they all had personality. Even the bare bones Wii console was paired with those one-of-a-kind Wiimote and Nunchuck combo. Switch, while not necessarily a groundbreaking design, consolodated its previous successes (and Wii U failure) into a compelling portable/home console. One with controllers that turned a screen into a working console on the go. That alone is an incredible design feature. Then you add in the pops of color on each Joy-Con and you have yourself an expensive toy.
Switch 2: Electric Dodadoo
My point is, Nintendo consoles set trends are add personality to the proceedings. They stand in a class all their own, from design to exclusives. Its Nintendo, and then everyone else. That’s why the design of the Switch 2 feels so non-Nintendo. It’s a carbon copy of the Switch, with all the fun stripped out. It kind of just looks like everything else. It will certainly blend in with a standard piece of tech you may have laying in your entertainment center. Gone are the bright splashes of color on the Joy-Cons, replaced with subdued rings hidden behind the thubsticks. Its all-black paint job feels like an attempt to “mature” the look and feel of the console. I don’t think that falls in line with Nintendo’s modus operandi.
It’s not bad. It’s just boring. Which is not something you can say for most Nintendo consoles. They are usually a weird shape (Gamecube), have a strange gimmick (Wii), do something unorthodox (3DS), or simply look like a toy (2DS).
Switch 2, which is also a terrible name, will be a fine console. It’s backwards compatible with last gen Nintendo games. The console is larger and the resolution is higher. And we get a new crop of classic Nintendo exclusives, including a new Mario Kart, Metroid Prime 4, and whatever they have cooking for Zelda. The future is looking good for Switch 2, I just hope this “adult” look and feel is a phase. There had better be some real funky Joy-Con 2’s on the horizon.
Also, how do you not call it the “Super Nintendo Switch”? C’mon Nintendo marketing. It was right there!